New bargain toy to report on, sort of motoring associated.
Have always wanted a pressure washer on the place but never really got round to it as I can borrow them locally. Garage in town has one that would cost about £1000 and shift all sorts. Also a local farm contact has one that seems to have a V6 engine and takes three men to hold the lance.
But the other day I thought one might be useful here to clean up the old Land Rover bits etc. So I bought one of the bottom of the market devices like you see in Argos/DIY shops for about £70.
I expected it to be rubbish frankly but it's really good. I cleaned off a Land Rover gearbox with years of mud/oil and got back to a shiny casing in ten minutes. Think I'll call that one reconditioned now!
It cleaned green mould from nooks and crannies on farm equipment that stands out all year. Even the wooden shed comes up as new.
In fact our yard has clean test stripes across almost everything now!
David
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What does your therapist say about all this pessure at work?
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You've obviously been having an entertaining day! Wish my car had been near at the time as you could've "practised" on that :o)
Few years back when I lived on the farm we had a diesel powered pressure washer and by god could that move water/steam. I washed my Mk I Fiesta with it once and on concentrating on a tar spot on the body work I succeeded in removing a 2" square section of paint as well - still, Ford build quality at the time may have been a contributing factor!
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Oh dear David W. I thought my wife was unique in having lusted after one of these power washers for ages and now, having got one, cleans everything in sight, murmuring orgasmic-type noises as she washes away history - it's even applied to centuries-old stone walling that's taken a millenium to reach its present beautiful mellow hue.
Is there a cure please?
Colin S
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Please, always adjust the nozzle to a spray. The jet can bend thin metal, and turn small objects into projectiles.
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...and will even rip holes in concrete patios. :o(
S.
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Tomo's spot on actually, plus if the fan spray is set too fine it can cut through fabric, eg m/cycle seats, like knife through butter.
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Serious point now. I've got this theory that most of the black streaks you get on alloy and other wheels come from not the current set of brake pads, but the accumulated crud on the inside of the wheels which is mostly brake dust. I remember a thread criticising some brand of supposedly carbon-free brake pads because the contributor's car wheels were just as dirty as before.
A year or two ago I inherited a Merc 280 CE, lovely car but it couldn't stay as it knocked up the personal fleet to 4. When the time came to sell, I valeted it and cleaned the alloys with Wonder Wheels, but each time I drove it, the wheels were almost as black as before. So the wheels came off and I pressure-washed the insides. Off came 17 years worth of black flaky stuff and I could subsequently drive it without needing to clean the wheels before each punter came to view.
And, wear some goggles.
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Staying off topic, our back yard is covered in a weird alien green moss over concrete. When it's dry, it's quite pretty, but when it's wet, it's a good substitute for the now sadly closed Whitley Bay Ice Rink.
Would your pressure thingy shift all the mossy stuff so that I could put the bins out in safety?
I hope so, 'cos that'd be a great excuse to buy a new toy...and it's a cleaning toy too, so extra bonus points from SWMBO...
Lee.
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Should work like a bomb, Lee.
But best to re-grout the affected areas (dry sand & cement mix) after a spray of some paraquat or similar to stop the problem reoccuring.
From a motoring sense, a word of caution.
Extra care needed when pressure-washing under bonnets (the electrics don't like it much)
Also, older exhaust pipes which are being held together with rust tend to disintegrate.
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Actually Lee this was another of the small reasons for the machine. We do live in an isolated rural spot in the Cambs Fens. Stuff goes green here very quickly.
The concrete back yard/path I did a few years ago has just turned lethal in the last few days.
This washer takes the conctete back to new.
How much pleasure can you have for £70?
Never went to Whitley Bay Ice Rink but have only just thrown the old skates out, used to be great fun at Birmingham.
David
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Whoo hoo! sounds just the way to pass the weekend, I'm going to have to find one now.
Will let you know how I get on.
Lee.
(thanks ian, david & stuart)
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HJ should be selling pressure washers!
David
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Shame on you David for throwing out the skates. Over the years, world champions have come out of the Fens after much practice on that old "cut" which went from Wisbech out to Emneth. We MUST have a hard winter soon and you could be as famous for speed skating as you are for your enthusiasm for those funny French cars :-)
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Lee if its like my pressure washer you can write your name in the green stuff. Makes a change from writing your name in the snow.....................................
Sorry girls bit vulgar that one.
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Go for a good quality one.
One I got from Woollies for about £60 only lasted a year.
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Oops. Had I better clean it up and return under some plausible excuse Brian?
As far as I could see everything under £120 looked to have the clues of the same cheap sources.
What happened to yours then.
David
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David W wrote:
> Have always wanted a pressure washer on the place but never
> really got round to it as I can borrow them locally. Garage
> in town has one that would cost about £1000 and shift all
> sorts. [snip]
> But the other day I thought one might be useful here to clean
> up the old Land Rover bits etc. So I bought one of the bottom
> of the market devices like you see in Argos/DIY shops for
> about £70.
Brian wrote:
>
> Go for a good quality one.
> One I got from Woollies for about £60 only lasted a year.
David W wrote:
>
> Oops. Had I better clean it up and return under some
> plausible excuse Brian?
Unless the £1000 version lasts more than 10 years (long before which you would want a new improved toy, wouldn't you?) you can afford to buy one a year at that price. So if I were David I wouldn't be worried.
But then if I were David I'd be watching my husband playing and wishing he'd use it where I wanted it used!
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>>But then if I were David I'd be watching my husband playing and wishing he'd use it where I wanted it used!
Point 1) oooeeerrr.
Point 2) David's got a husband ?
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Sue,
Thanks, you're right of course. Too complicated to explain why but my £70 washer effectively cost me about £40 (not down the pub either).
About 75p a week if it gets chucked after a year and I'm sure it'll be worth that.
Even the Shetland Pony is looking nervous now, bet she'd clean up well.
I'll leave Mark to you!
David
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Best not to ask about the Shetland Pony or the husband situation - what David does in the previous of his own manor is his own business! :o)
Just out of interest and so as not to take up a new thread with it, what is the likelihood of a "backroomers" meet-up (suggested by Mark (Brazil)!)? If it could be pulled off it'd be great to meet all who frequent this establishment over a beer - Be difficult due to the spread of where people live I suppose - any suggestions?
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> Just out of interest and so as not to take up a new thread with it, what is the likelihood of a "backroomers" meet-up
> (suggested by Mark (Brazil)!)? If it could be pulled off it'd be great to meet all who frequent this establishment
> over a beer - Be difficult due to the spread of where people live I suppose - any suggestions?
I'd go, and bearing in mind I'm already travelling half way around the world, then it would make no odds to me where.
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previous?! I think I mean privacy
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Mark (Brazil) wrote:
> Point 1) oooeeerrr.
> Point 2) David's got a husband ?
If David will let it pass, so will I, since I am sometimes able to switch out of 'Pedant' mode. ;-)
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David
Serious point
I also own one of these toys. It does not attack oil and grease very effectively.
Were you using a detergent? If so which one?
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Alyn/David,
You are right these aren't really designed for grease. The ones I have access to are the steam type and they work wonders.
On the greasy Land Rover gearbox the oil/grease was mixed with mud and that came off with the cold water pressure. I'm happy to leave a little grease film because it will stop things going rusty. Steam clean an engine and then look at it in a week, red rust everywhere.
I buy a slightly heavier version of WD40 and spray that over any engine I've just cleaned.
I have a 25l container of Traffic Film Remover for pressure washers and that will go in the detergent dispenser lance for anything a bit greasy. If you spray that neat on an engine first and leave for five minutes then the pressure washer will do the rest.
David
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You need steam to attack grease & oil effectively without the use of degreasers
David
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My wife is also 'pressuring' me to buy one, but can we name some recommended manufacturers? The Karcher range currently offered in B&Q is a different range of the same manaufacturer offered by Argos! Which range is the newest? Which is the best value model?
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Kew is also a good manufacturer - I think these are blue rather than the nice yellow of karcher.
Jonathan
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Karcher models 520 and above are good and will last. Lesser models have plastic pump parts and wont last.
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Yes but that model is £189 in Argos, different ball game from the sub £70 models.
I do appreciate they have a good name though.
Mine seems to have a brass pump assembly, I suppose it could have plastic insides.
I gather an important thing is not to leave it running without actually washing anything, the water flow is the pump coolant.
David
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"the water flow is the pump coolant."
bit like diesel being the injection pump lubricant.
Just helping to keep on topic,....... or should I have said .......
helping to keep on topic, just?
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I was going to come on here tonight for advice about pressure washers, and David beat me to it! Halfords are doing one for £49.99, but I was worried about the effect on wheel bearings. Will the high pressure spray force it's way past the seals and wash the grease out? A friend reckons his son-in-law stripped the paint from his front bumper with one of these things. Are they too powerful for cars, or can the pressure be adjusted?
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Yep - you stand further away from the car when washing it! See my earlier post re the Fiesta, still, that power washer was an industrial one...
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I'm fortunate enough to have the use of one of the big 3 phase, diesel heated ones at work, so I do the bike on a fairly regular basis. Brings it up a treat but I never go to hard on the painted bits. The first time I used one in the early eighties (it was W reg anyway) I followed Dan J's example and lifted the paint off on my fairing trying to get a dead fly off. The fly was still stuck to the paint. Our house is surrounded by York stone flags and they bring them up a treat but you only need a small loose bit of grout between the flags to bring out even more. I just use Jeyes fluid now in a watering can with a sprinkler bar that not only gets rid of the moss but also lifts off the oily drips from the flags better in front of the garage.
Bill.
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A crack developed on the outlet spigot from the pump. It still works but I tend to be a bit nervous about water leaking internally in an electrically powered object whilst I am holding the other end!
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That's interesting Brian.
I was obviously aware when buying this it wasn't the BMW of pressure washers, no foglamps for a start!
The valves and connections on this one are brass which I didn't expect, was yours?
David
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Re Brian's post.."I tend to be a bit nervous about water leaking internally in an electrically powered object whilst I am holding the other end".
The electric ones, or any other external mains appliance should be wired through an RCD/ELCB earth leakage circuit breaker, to maximize the chances of many future power washing sessions. They're about as easy to wire as a 3 pim socket.
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weve got one of those pressure washers,
its a karcher but its an industrial one (although its only small). The power off the hose really kicks back when it kicks in.
Tried washing the beloved astra with it though - not as good as my usual brush on a stick and hot water with triplewax car shampoo, and I wash the car every week so it wasnt even that dirty.
I still had to clean the car again after i'd finished with the pressure washer.
but then again, it is a white astra...
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I didn't need it to wash the car body, just other "things". Bucket and brush is the best for the outside.
David
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We all seem to have two pennorth to say on this, so - me too!
I bought a Karcher (about £140) from Halfords and it's brilliant, but I don't use the high pressure jet on paintwork because I heard that it can strip paint off.
Patio furniture comes up a treat but it does seem to take the shine off a bit.
The best accessory I've got is the rotary brush - it's great for cleaning the caravan after winter lay-up (using detergent, of course) and the long handle means I can reach the centre of the roof OK.
I don't wear carpet slippers when using the machine - am I wrong then?
Ian
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Ian,
Just re-read instructions, I think slippers are out from now on. There are so many "do nots" you'd think it was a flame thrower.
David
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> Just re-read instructions, I think slippers are out from now on.
That just goes to show how the UK has changed in the last few years. Slippers *never* came with instructions when I lived there.
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It's these daft EC laws - you have to be 18 to buy them as well now.
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And that's the crazy thing Dan, most don't want them 'till 65 anyway.
I was breaking these in for a friend....honest.
David
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I must have lost the plot here, are we talking about pressure washers or slippers?
Just had the whole office sing me happy birthday in Swedish, and come over all unnecessary. Just a bit of unwanted background info.
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Stuart,
What's it like to hit thirty in Sweden then?
And did you get new slippers?
David
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I only of course wear mine because I don't want to offend who bought them or me - honest!
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David
Can't believe the thread length for this topic. Don't want to miss out.
Bought a £100 Karher unit a couple of years back. Brilliant device!
Very handy for cleaning gearbox, axle etc exteriors - beats all that business with the Gunk! Also excellent for dried on mud, brake dust encrusted wheels and similar. Cleans patios, but takes ages due to the small jet size.
I'd agree with the cautions though - bit damaging on tarmac if you're not careful, indeed anything remotely loose or soft is at risk, but yes, an excellent buy!
regards
john
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Karcher 520 from Halfords bought this May.Cost £160 Good compromise between price and spec. Works well.
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